Moving On
by hydref05
Summary: It's time for Josh, Donna and Sam to move on into the Santos presidency. Set in an au straight after season 7 Requiem.
1. We Should Have Played Poker

We Should Have Played Poker by Sian

Jed talks to Josh at Leo's wake  
Season 7 spoilers -- Election Day & Requiem  
Josh & Jed

* * *

**Monday, November 7th, six days after the election**

The funeral had been both more difficult and easier than Josh had imagined it would be. The requiem mass had been strangely comforting. Mallory and President's Bartlet's eulogies had even managed to make him smile, briefly. Carrying the coffin to the waiting hearse and the journey to Arlington had been the hardest moments. The burial had been with full military honors, Josh could imagine Leo shaking his head in amazement at all the fuss. The gun salute had briefly sent Josh's mind flying back to August 2000, but Donna had been there, holding his hand, and the moment had passed quickly. Then there had been a reception for the gathered mourners, and finally, those who had been closest to Leo had gone to the Residence for their own private wake.

After half an hour, Josh had sneaked out of the gathering and made his way, with a secret service escort, quietly through the building to Leo's old office, the office that would soon be his ... perhaps.

Jed had seen Josh leave, had given him ten minutes to be alone, before following him down to the West Wing. He found him standing in CJ's office, his hands in his pockets, looking out of the window, staring into the night. "Josh."

"Mr President," Josh replied nervously, after all he really shouldn't be in this part of the building anymore.

"Come through," Jed walked to the connecting door and into the Oval Office, with Josh behind him. He sat Josh down, poured them both a drink and joined him on the sofa. "It was a nice service."

"It was," Josh agreed. "I think he'd have been flattered by how many people cared about him."

"I should probably have invited more of them back here. But I wanted this to just be for us, his family." Jed smiled sadly, "We should have played poker, he'd have liked that."

"He would have," Josh agreed.

"So how are you?" Jed asked. "And before you say that you're fine, remember there are half a dozen agents just the other side of that door."

Josh had no idea how to answer that question, because he had no idea how he was feeling. Over the last few days, his emotions had covered the spectrum, from happy to have won the election, to despair at loosing Leo, with every possible emotion in between. But Josh could no more express these emotions than he could fly, so instead he shrugged. "I honestly don't know," he admitted.

Jed nodded. "Up one minute, down the next?" he asked. "Me too. And anger," he added. "Anger at God for taking Leo, at Leo for leaving us."

Josh gave Jed a searching look. Did he really feel like that or did he know that was how Josh felt. That had been the emotion that had floored Josh, how could he possibly be angry at Leo, and yet at times he was. It gave him some comfort to know that maybe he wasn't alone.

"I was talking to Matt," Jed continued. "He doesn't seem sure you want come here with him in January."

Josh shrugged. "To be honest, Sir, I have no idea what I want to do."

"You're not alone there," Jed said. Some would argue that he was the most powerful man in the world, but for the last six days he'd felt anything but powerful, he'd felt lost and alone. "You keep thinking Leo would know what to do?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Would you take advice from me instead?"

"Of course."

"Don't rush into any decisions now."

"If I'm going to be his chief of staff, I need to start organizing now. If I'm not, I need to tell him now so he can find someone else."

"He can wait a few more days. If he's the man I think he is, the man Leo said he is, he'll wait."

"He will. I just know if he should. I don't know if I want to do this anymore," Josh admitted.

Jed nodded. "If Leo had died last year, would you have let me stand down?"

"Would you have wanted to?"

"Yes." That was something Jed had only admitted to Abbey before now.

"You wouldn't have though."

"No," Jed agreed. "This was Leo's dream, if I'd have let him down at the last ... He'd have haunted me to the end of my days."

Josh smiled at that. "You know, I can almost hear him telling me to get a grip, before he smacked me up the back of the head."

Jed returned the smile as he remembered the exasperated tone Leo seemed to reserve solely for Josh. "When he was the hospital last year, he asked me to look after Mallory," he said. "And you." Josh looked shocked, but Jed carried on. "I promised I would, I want to keep that promise, Josh. Anytime you need to talk, I'm only a phone call away."

"Thank you, that means a lot," Josh said and found he meant it.

"I'm not going to tell you what Leo would have wanted you to do. You knew him well enough, you know in your heart what he'd be telling you now."

Josh nodded. Leo wouldn't want him to be brooding. Leo would want him to be planning the new administration, to continue their legacy, protect everything they'd fought for for the last eight years. But that didn't make it any easier to move on.

"I will tell you that Leo thought you'd make an excellent chief of staff. It was why I was surprised he didn't suggest you for his job, but it turned out he had bigger plans for you," Jed smiled.

"You're saying he'd want me to take the job."

"Of course he would," Jed said. "He'd want you to do the job you've been working towards for all these years, the one you've wanted since you came here on a school trip when you were 13."

Josh looked surprised, "How'd you know about that?"

"Leo talked about you. He was very proud of you, you do know that?"

Josh did know that Leo was proud of him. Leo had told him not long ago. He still couldn't shake the guilt though. "And look where it got him."

Jed nodded, "Mallory said you'd be blaming yourself. But what Donna, Toby, Sam and the others have been telling you is true. Nobody ever forced Leo McGarry to do anything he didn't want to. Yes, you asked him to join the ticket, but he didn't agree to to please you, he did it because he relished the challenge. That was what he lived for. You know that. He was an addict, he replaced alcohol with work. It was his life and he could no more have given it up than you can. Do you imagine for one minute that if he hadn't been on the ticket, he'd have stayed home and watched the campaign on the news? He'd have been with you every step of the way."

Josh did know, in some hidden part of his brain, that Leo's death wasn't his fault. Leo had a weak heart. The chances were he would have died last Tuesday anyway. And even if the campaigning had been to blame, Leo was a grown man and Josh had never known anyone so sure of his own mind than Leo.

"He was like this after Rosslyn." Jed was saying. "He got you to join us in New Hampshire, if he hadn't you wouldn't have been shot, you wouldn't have been lying in ICU."

"That wasn't his fault."

"No. And this isn't yours. Go stay with your mother for a few days if it'll help you get your head straight. Take Donna," Jed smiled, "he told me about you two."

"He knew?" Josh asked, his voice rising slightly in surprise.

"Of course he knew," Jed laughed.

"Was he ... What did he think?"

"The same as the rest of us, Josh. It's about time." Jed continued. "Go stay with your mom," he repeated. "And then, if you really don't want to be Matthew Santos's chief of staff, that's your choice," he said. "But I do want you to do one thing before you quit, and I'll make it a presidential order if I have to."

"Sir?"

"You choose his vice president," Jed said forcibly. "You choose someone worthy to fill Leo's shoes."

Josh's head snapped up at that. "Due respect, Sir, how the hell could anyone...?"

"You'll find them," Jed assured him. "You're the only one I'd trust to do the job."

"I'm not sure..."

"Do you have a short list?" Jed asked.

"Sir, and again I say this with all due respect, is this the time? I mean, today, here...?"

"When will be the time, Josh? Thanksgiving? Christmas, sometime next year? You really imagine I want to be discussing who should replace Leo?" Jed asked angrily. "There's never going to be a good time, so we may as well use this time. Who's on the list?"

Josh shrugged, "Senator Baker seems to be the favorite. It's amazing how he's keen to do it now the campaigning's over," he added bitterly.

"I heard what happened at Ellie's wedding. I'm amazed Santos is even considering him after that."

"When I say he's the favorite, that would be with the others ... Not with Matt," Josh smiled slightly and corrected himself, "the president."

"So who's his favorite?"

"I don't know, to tell you the truth. I've not really been there the last few days, I've kind of just been attending if you know what I mean."

"I do. And I understand. But I mean what I say. Whatever you decide to do in the future, you choose the vice president."

"Yes, Sir." Josh agreed. "I serve at the pleasure of the president, I always will."

"I know you will, Son, I know you will."

Part Two, Tough Choices (coming soon)-


	2. Tough Choices

**Moving On**It's time to choose Leo's successor -- sometimes insane ideas are the best ideas.  
Josh, Matt, Jed et al  
Small spoilers for season 7 -- The Cold, Election Day (although I have no idea who's going to win on the show) and Requiem.  
NOTE: Yes, I know, in real life politics this pairing of president and vice president would be unlikely to say the least, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen ... does it?

* * *

**Chapter 2 -- Tough Choices**

**Santos/McGarry Headquarters - Monday 14th November **

Josh was sitting in his office with the door closed, in the vain hope that no one would disturb him. Under normal circumstances, Donna would have been teasing him about hiding away, but these weren't normal circumstances. At the other end of their office suite a meeting was about to begin, the subject was the one everyone had been discussing for the past two weeks, and by everyone Josh didn't just mean his staff. This was the topic of talk shows, news items and op eds across the country. Who would President Elect Matthew Santos choose as his vice president?

Josh was painfully aware that they had to choose, and that they had maybe a month in which to do it. He knew Leo would be yelling at him to get the job done. And he knew he'd promised Jed Bartlet that he'd be the one to do it. But he had no motivation and certainly no enthusiasm for the job, and that was something that worried him.

Never before had he felt like this. Usually, when events in his personal life, or his professional life for that matter, got too much for him, work was where he found his release, his solace. Work had always been his escape from the things around him that he couldn't control. This sudden lack of motivation scared him and made him think that perhaps it was time to call it a day, to move on. Maybe his mother had been right over the years, maybe the private sector was the place to be.

He was rudely dragged from his musings by a loud knocking at the door. "What?" he snapped.

"You're late," Lou told him when she entered the office.

Josh looked at his watch and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah."

"Look, I know you don't want to take the meeting, but we have to decide on someone."

"So you take the meeting."

"Santos wants you there." Lou studied Josh. She'd known him for years, though for most of that time they'd been adversaries, so she wasn't sure she was the person who should be asking this, but someone had to ask. "Josh, what's going on?"

"We're apparently going to choose a VP."

"With you. What's going on with you? You're acting like you don't want to be here, like you wish we hadn't won."

While Josh knew that was true, he wasn't going to discuss it with Lou. "Let's get this meeting over with," he said, his voice resigned as he stood up and walked around his desk.

"Are you still with us?" Lou asked.

"I'm here aren't I?"

"No, not really."

"We only buried Leo last Monday, Lou. What the hell do you want from me?" Josh asked angrily.

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An hour into the meeting and they were still no nearer agreement. Lou wanted Baker, but Bram, Donna and Matt weren't convinced, after all Baker had turned them down five months earlier, why should he be able to jump onboard now that they'd won. Joey Lucas wanted them to look further afield than the senate, suggesting they look at Berryhill. Annabeth and Josh had hardly contributed anything at all.

As the staff argued, Matt looked across the room at Josh. He'd been unnaturally quiet all afternoon, although he hadn't really been with them for the last week, not since election night. Matt understood that Josh was in mourning, he knew how close Josh and Leo had been, but at the same time, he needed his campaign manager to lead his staff. "Josh, what do you think?" he asked.

Josh looked startled for a second. This was one conversation he'd never imagined, not even in his worst nightmares, he'd be having -- replacing Leo. How could anyone replace Leo? The staff were all watching him though, waiting for his insight. Lou waiting for him to agree that Baker was the only sensible choice, the others waiting for his suggestion. Their expectant looks made him angry.

"We need foreign policy experience," Lou argued again.

"Then ask Nancy McNally," Josh retorted and the others laughed.

"That's not as stupid as it sounds," Joey said.

"You're kidding?" Lou asked.

"The senate wouldn't be happy," Edie added.

The conversation on the pros and cons of Josh's suggestion continued around him and Josh wondered what the hell was happening. He hadn't been serious for God's sake. He was on the verge of telling them all to shut the hell up, that he had been being sarcastic, when Annabeth spoke up for the first time.

"Leo liked her, I think he would have approved."

"Me too," Matt agreed and turned to Josh. "I know you weren't serious, but what do you think?"

"Really? I'm not even sure she'd leave the NSC. The senate would go nuts. The Republicans would accuse us of sneaking her in through the backdoor."

"But?" Matt prompted.

"She could be good," Josh replied thoughtfully. "She's certainly always up for a fight. She brings foreign policy and military knowledge. The chiefs already know and respect her."

"The senate would never confirm her," Rhona argued.

"They wouldn't have to," Josh replied. "Technically she'd be the candidate until the electoral college is in, so the senate don't get a say. Of course, not a least consulting with the minority leader would to cause us problems for the next four years. But Tripplehorn is going to be pissed anyway that we didn't offer him the job, and he already hates me," Josh added with the smallest hint of a smile. For the first time in days he was starting to feel connected to the campaign again and it felt good.

"I'm beginning to get worried about how small the number of senators and congressmen who actually like you is," Matt smiled at Josh. "Would you talk to her?"

"Nancy?" Josh asked. "Hell, no. She scares the crap out of me. I think we should talk to someone else first."

"Tripplehorn?" Edie asked.

"President Bartlet," Matt guessed. "Okay, thanks everyone. Nothing leaves this room for now. And we'll still look into Baker and Berryhill, just in case."

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**The Residence, That Evening**

Jed handed Josh a drink and sat down across from him. "How you doing?"

"Okay," Josh tried but knew Jed would never believe him. "Better than yesterday."

"I think that's all any of us can hope for, that each day will be better than the last. You didn't go to Florida."

"No. I thought about it. I talked to my mom, she put me straight on a few things. And I've reached a decision. In the end it wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be."

Jed looked hopeful, "You're going to take the job?"

"Yeah. I owe him that."

Jed wasn't sure whether Josh meant Leo or Matt, but he was sure Josh had made the right decision. "I'm glad. Leo was the rock of this administration. Now it's your turn to be the rock of Santos's."

"I don't know about that, but I'll give it my best shot."

"You'll do just fine. You didn't come here just to tell me that though. Do you have a short list?"

"Yeah, Berryhill's on there now, along with Baker."

"Berryhill would be a good choice." But Jed didn't imagine it was the prospect of Vice-President Berryhill that had helped Josh find his enthusiasm again. "There's someone else?"

"Yes. It's a ridiculous idea and I don't imagine for one minute they're going to agree or that the Senate'll be happy. But the more I think about it, the more I talk it over with the president and with Donna," Josh smiled, "it's starting to sound good. Leo would certainly have approved. But it's insane."

"Yet I've learnt that it's your insane ideas that tend to bring the best results," Jed replied. "So who is he?"

"She," Josh corrected. "Nancy McNally."

"Nancy?" Jed smiled as he considered that. "Leo _would_ have approved. What made you think of Nancy?"

"Actually, I wasn't being serious," Josh admitted. "The staff were annoying me and I just threw her name in to shut them up for a minute. Mostly they thought I was insane, but Joey, Annabeth and the president took me seriously. So now Nancy's the front runner."

Jed smiled. This was the most animated he'd seen Josh since Leo had died. When he'd seen him at the hotel that night, Josh had looked detached from everything around him and, as far as Jed could tell, that was how he'd stayed ever since.

"What do you think?" Josh asked.

"I think she's an good choice, if a brave one," Jed smiled. "What about the senate?"

"Some of them may be a little pissed at us. But we don't need them. We should be able to get the DNC's backing and as long as we can get her to agree before the electoral college comes in and get their support, we're fine."

"Then you'd better talk to her."

"Yeah. See I was kinda hoping it'd be we," Josh asked. "You, me and Santos."

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**Tuesday Morning, Situation Room**

"Mr President," Nancy asked. "Do we actually have a situation?"

"We do," Jed assured her. "But we're waiting for the others, they need to have their credentials cleared to come in here. You know, on reflection, it would probably have been easier to meet in the Oval, but I like a little dramatic licence from time to time."

Nancy was confused now. "Who are we meeting?"

"President Santos and Josh Lyman."

"The president elect wants to see the situation room?"

"Something like that. Ah here they are."

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Nancy looked from Josh to the two presidents and then back at Josh again. "Are you nuts?"

"Yes," Josh agreed. "But I'm also serious."

"You know, I'm actually lost for words."

Jed smiled, "Well that's a first. It seems my role in this is over, it's up to you two to convince her now." With that Jed left the room.

Nancy shook her head. "When I got up this morning, I thought it was gonna be a quiet day. You'd think I'd know by now wouldn't you?"

"Know what?" Matt asked.

Josh explained. "That in the White House, the days you think are going to be quiet are usually the ones that change the world."

"Do you really know what he's got you into?" Nancy asked Matt.

"I'm learning fast," Matt replied. "But it does appear there were one or two things my campaign manager left out of the job description."

"Didn't want to put you off," Josh replied.

Nancy watched them. She didn't know very much about Matthew Santos but she did know Josh. "You asked Josh to be your chief of staff?" she asked Matt.

"I have and he's finally agreed," Matt smiled.

"You two know I'm a woman right? A black woman?"

"Aren't they gonna love us," Matt smiled. "An Hispanic president and a black vice-president, we're making history."

"I'll say," Nancy agreed. "We're gonna get shot."

"Does that mean you accept?" Josh asked.

"You understand that I don't know much about domestic policy?"

"That's what we have Josh for," Matt replied.

"I was wondering why that was," Nancy told him with a smile. "Who else are you talking to?"

"No one, unless you turn us down," Matt replied.

"And then?"

"Senator Baker and Berryhill."

"Berryhill would be a much more popular choice than me. He'd make the confirmation a lot easier."

"Maybe," Matt conceded. "But if we wanted easy we wouldn't have run in the first place."

"That's true," Nancy smiled. "I don't suppose I get time to think about this, talk to my husband?"

"We can wait a day or two," Matt said. "But you know it's gonna leak?"

"I'd be shocked if it didn't," Nancy replied. She was actually surprising herself by seriously considering their offer.

Part 3 -- Staffing Issues ...


	3. Staffing Issues

**Moving On  
**Nancy gives her decision, meanwhile, Josh thought he'd hired Lou & Donna, but they have other ideas.  
Josh, Matt, Donna, Lou ... a little J/D  
Spoilers through season 7

* * *

**Chapter 3 -- Staffing Issues**

**Wednesday 16th November**

"You're not serious?" Josh asked.

"Yes," Lou replied.

"You're leaving?"

"You always knew that. I work on campaigns, Josh, not in government."

"So maybe you need a change."

"I really don't."

"Ah come on," Josh whined. "You've been telling me to get my head back here, that he needs me, and now you're telling me that you're leaving."

"He does need you. You got him here, you can't just abandon him now."

"But you can."

"I work for the DNC, I was never on your staff," Lou pointed out.

Josh sighed, "I'm not sure we can do this, in fact I'm damn sure we can't do this, with just me and Donna the only ones with any experience."

"None of you had any experience eight years ago, you got through it."

"We had Leo," Josh replied.

"And they've got you."

"Yes, and aren't they lucky. _I_ need you," Josh admitted and then smiled, "and do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

"I do," Lou smiled.

"So?"

"God, Josh!" Lou sighed. "I can give you a few more months, no more. And you have to understand, it'll be no longer than that. By March I have to be out of here."

"Hey, at the moment I'll take anything I'm offered. Seriously, Lou, I'm drowning here."

"Yes I know. And six months ago that would have been fun to watch, but now, and I don't know what's happened to me, but I find I want to help you."

"I grow in people. A little like mold," Josh replied with a small smile.

"Who else do you have to badger?"

"Joey and Annabeth. Plus I have to find a role for Ned Carlson."

"We fired him."

"He was sent back to the congressional office. The Santos's want him in the White House."

"Doing what exactly?"

"I don't know yet, but it'll be well away from anything too important."

"Well, in The White House that shouldn't be too difficult," Lou replied dryly.

"You're not helping," Josh told her.

Lou took out a legal pad. "Who do you have so far?"

"Me and Donna, Joey and Annabeth, if I can persuade them. I've also talked two of Bartlet's congressional aides, Ed Kendrick and Larry Sawyer, into staying on."

"Right. So including the president, that's five definites and two maybes. Yeah you're screwed."

"We've got two months yet."

"We have an inaugural address to write and none of us are speech writers."

"He'll want to write that himself, but I'm fairly sure I can find him some help if he needs it."

"He'll need it," Lou replied. "He also has to make a start on appointments. Chairman of the joint chiefs, an NSA head, surgeon general, a cabinet."

"Yeah," Josh replied. He ran his hands threw his hair and sighed, this was why he needed Leo and it made him miss his mentor even more, if that was possible. "I'll talk to him."

Lou saw the cloud descend back over Josh. "We'll get there," she assured him.

"Josh," an intern interrupted. "NSA on 3."

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Josh hung up the phone and sat staring into space. Nancy McNally's call had brought home to him, yet again, that Leo really was gone. A fresh wave of depression rolled over him, but he fought the feelings, pushing them aside to be dealt with later, in private. He composed himself and went to see Matt.

Matt looked up when Josh entered the room. "Hey. What's going on?"

"Dr. McNally just called."

"And?" Matt asked nervously.

"She's agreed."

Matt smiled. "Yeah? That's great."

"We'll set up a press conference for this afternoon for the two of you."

"Good. What about the DNC?"

"They're my next call."

Matt nodded and studied Josh. "Nancy'll be good," he said. "But it should have been Leo. It's funny how much I'm missing him. I mean I only knew him a few months, but he made a big impact." He smiled. "We had it all worked out you know. Who'd do what, how we'd run the country. A president and vice president who were actually working together."

Josh smiled in spite of himself. "That would have been a first. But Nancy will be good," he agreed.

"So what's wrong?"

"She brings us foreign policy and military experience, which is something we were sorely lacking without Leo. But she's never been in government. We needed Leo 'cause ... well we need someone who knows how to run a country."

"You were Leo's deputy for seven years, Josh. You know how to run a country. Don't go getting cold feet on me again. We'll do just fine." Matt could see that Josh was unsure. "Leo was convinced you'd make a good chief of staff. At Ellie Bartlet's wedding, when they were badgering me to replace you, to let Leo run the campaign. He told me that no one could do anymore than you had, not even him, and he was right."

Josh nodded. "Thanks. I'm not getting cold feet. I just ... I have this habit of second guessing myself."

"I'd noticed. It's one of the things I like about you. There's something frightening about people who see things in black and white, who never have doubts."

"I guess," Josh agreed. "So we'll do just fine, you reckon?"

"More than that. We're going to make a difference "

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Josh and some of his staff, including the recently poached Ed and Larry, stood at the back of the room and watched Matt introduce his choice for vice president, Dr Nancy McNally.

"It's going well," Rhona commented. "We might just pull this off."

"Doesn't she know the rules?" Ed asked.

Rhona looked at him, "Rules?"

Donna smiled, "Never say that anything is going well, until it's done and dusted. They'll make you go outside, turn around three times and spit."

"It's like a curse," Ed added.

"You bring down the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing," Josh said without looking away from the podium.

"You're all mad," Rhona told them.

"Oh that's a tough one," Donna said as Nancy was asked about her husband's political leanings.

"He's a Republican?" Ed asked.

"Makes us more bi-partisan," Bram said. "She can handle them."

"It's not like she hasn't faced the press before."

They listened a little longer. There were questions about the electoral college, the DNC, the senate; but between them, Matt and Nancy fielded everything.

"It's like they've been doing this together for months," Bram commented.

"What did the DNC say?" Rhona asked.

Josh glanced at her. "They were fine. They'd have been happier with Baker, but what were they going to do, withdraw support for their own leader? It's the senate we're going to have trouble with." He turned to Donna. "They've had long enough. Wind it up."

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By eight that evening Donna had done all the press releases and all the lobbying for Nancy she could for the day, so she went to find Josh. "Hi."

Josh looked up and smiled at Donna. "Hey."

"Busy?"

"Staffing issues. I still need a communications director and deputy, not to mention my deputy."

"What about Joey?"

Josh pulled a face, "Haven't thought how to ask her yet."

"Usually, 'hey would you like a job', is a good start," Donna suggested.

"I don't want to give her the chance to say no. What do you think about Annabeth for deputy communications?"

"She'd be good, what does she think? No, wait, let me guess, you haven't thought how to ask her yet?"

"No. She's been kind of odd around me."

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" Josh asked.

"She thinks you blame her somehow?"

"For what? Wait ... Leo? I don't."

"I know. But she was there, she was the one who told you ... " Donna shrugged. "You should talk to her."

Josh nodded.

"I thought you'd chosen a communications director?" Donna asked.

"Lou won't stay past March."

"Lou was never going to be your choice though, was she. Come on be honest, don't tell me you haven't had the same thought I have?"

"Toby's a felon," Josh replied with a small smile.

Donna pulled a face, "I wasn't talking about Toby, or Will for that matter."

"I know. I just don't know now, if you see what I mean."

"Unfortunately I do. He has the experience, four years as deputy communications director and since then he's been active in local politics. I'm pretty sure he'd agree."

"So am I." Josh agreed.

"Then why not ask him?" But Donna knew the answer to that question. No matter how much he argued that he was fine, she knew Josh felt guilty about Leo's death. She also knew that he had a superstitious dread that if he asked Sam to join them in the White House, something bad would happen to him as well.

Josh really did like the idea of working with Sam again, and he knew what Donna thought his reasons for delaying asking were, but that wasn't it, well not entirely. "You remember what he was like before he left? He couldn't wait to go. I don't want him to feel that he should come back just because I asked him."

"I'm not sure he'd do that. Let me sound him out for you," she offered and Josh nodded. "Haven't seen much of you outside of work in the last few days," she asked.

"I've been busy with all this. I haven't been avoiding you."

"Yes you have."

Josh sighed, "Yes I have. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, just do something about it. Let's have dinner or at least a drink. We could go to Iota?"

"I've got all this stuff ... "

"It'll keep. Come on, you and me, dinner, now," Donna told him.

Josh smiled, "When did you become the boss?"

"I was always the boss."

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**Iota**

They'd finished dinner and Josh had actually eaten all his food, which had to be a good sign Donna thought. But now she knew couldn't put the moment off any longer. "Helen's asked me to be her chief of staff."

Josh was thrown, "What?"

"Helen's asked me ..."

"Yeah. Why?"

"She needs a chief of staff."

"I know that. Why you?"

"Why not me?"

"Don't get snarky," Josh replied. "I just meant ... I thought you'd be staying with us."

"I am, on Helen's staff."

"You're the campaign spokesperson, it makes sense you'd become press secretary."

"I want to work for Helen. I told her yes."

"Why?" Josh asked again.

Donna wondered sometimes how Josh - a graduate of Harvard and Yale, a Fulbright Scholar, not to mention soon to be the youngest White House chief of staff - could be so dense. "Because for the eight years I worked for you and it meant nothing could happen between us. Because that was hard, but giving up what we've started now, knowing what we'd be giving up would be too much. CJ was right, these jobs do come at too high a price and I think we've already paid that price and more."

"Donna ..."

"The first lady's chief of staff is a very good job and it's the one I want."

"Because of us?"

"Not just because of us. You've wanted to be White House chief of staff your entire life. It's what you've worked for, it's your dream. I've worked in the White House and it was great, but I don't want to spend the next eight years fighting with Congress and the press. Working for Helen, I can make a difference in other ways. Look at the things Dr. Bartlet achieved. Anyway, with you as the president's chief of staff and me as the first lady's, we'll be unstoppable," she smiled.

"This is true," Josh agreed with a smile. "And it'll make a nice change to have someone who has a clue in that job. As long as you're sure, as long as you're not just doing it for us."

"I think us is a good reason, but it's not the only reason."

"So now I have to find a press secretary as well as all the rest."

"Rhona and Ned did it before me."

"Not Ned, he has the charisma of a tree," Josh grimaced. "But Rhona could be good. You know Annabeth isn't going to be happy to have another press secretary to break in."

"She managed it with Toby," Donna pointed out.

"She tried to make him shave off his beard," Josh grinned. "So does this mean you want us to happen?"

"I can't believe you're asking me that. What do you think the last few weeks have been about?"

"What I meant was, you want us to be official, public?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

"Cool?" Donna asked. "760 verbal SAT and 'cool' is the best you can up with?"

"It's been a long week," Josh smiled.

"It has. You weren't planning on going back to the office after this were you?"

"Do you have someplace else in mind?"

"There's a nice apartment in Georgetown I haven't visited in sometime."

Josh smiled, "I'll get the check."

Chapter 4, Preparing For Government ...


	4. Communications Office

**Moving On  
Chapter 4 -- Communications Office **

While operations is now staffed, there are definite gaps in the communications office  
Josh, Lou, Annabeth, Sam  
Spoilers through season 7

* * *

**Thursday 17th November**

Josh hesitated outside Annabeth's office door, unsure what he was going to say to her. He hadn't really spoken to her since the hospital on election night. Then she'd been standing, surrounded by agents, and Josh had known as soon as he'd seen her that Leo had gone. She didn't have to say the words, in fact he'd have given anything to not have her say them. When she had told him, he'd simply shaken his head and walked away from her. Every time he'd seen her since, he'd been pulled reluctantly back to that hospital corridor.

He took a deep breath and knocked gently on the open door. "Hey, you busy?"

Annabeth looked up. "Josh, hi. I was going through this, I've been putting it off."

"What is it?"

"Stuff of Leo's from the campaign. Actually you might want to look ... "

"No," Josh interrupted her. For now, the only way he could deal with Leo's death was to think about him as little as possible. "I've got everything I need. Listen, I wanted to ask, do you have plans now, work wise I mean?"

"Find another campaign I guess," Annabeth half heartedly replied. In truth she didn't really have the heart to find another candidate, didn't want to make anyone else popular. She'd become very fond of Leo in the months they'd worked together.

"How about working for us, with us, in The White House?"

"On the president's staff?"

"Yeah, unless you'd rather work for Nancy in OEOB?"

"No," Annabeth replied a little too quickly. "Sorry, it's not that I don't like Nancy, I do, I just ... I'd planned to do that with Leo and ... you know."

Josh nodded. "It hurts," he said.

"It does. I only knew him a few months but I liked him a lot. And, you know how you envisage how something will be? Sorry, of course you do."

Josh nodded again. "So what about working in the west wing as deputy communications director?"

"Really? I'm not sure I have the experience for that sort of job. I mean all I've done is PR."

"It's basically the biggest PR job in the country," Josh told her. "Besides, Sam and Toby had no experience, but they muddled through. Look, the president wants you and I want you. We're going to need someone who's good with spin."

"Isn't the deputy communications director supposed to be able to write speeches, because I'm telling you that really isn't my thing."

"There's a speech writing staff, don't worry." Josh smiled, "You want me to grovel, 'cause I'm going to been doing a lot of that over the next few days?"

Annabeth laughed, "No, please, no groveling. Wow, deputy communications director. That's pretty amazing. You don't even know if I'm a democrat."

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**Friday Evening **

Josh was sitting in his office with Lou and Annabeth, eating pizza and going through lists of vacancies and potential candidates. It was late on Friday evening and most people had already gone home for the weekend.

"No plans with Donna?" Lou asked.

"She's going to work for Helen," Josh replied.

"I think she meant tonight. You and her, nice meal or something," Annabeth suggested.

Josh frowned, "Is there anyone who doesn't know?"

"No," Lou said. "I'm fairly sure it's been clear to everyone here for weeks."

"Great, so much for a private life," Josh complained.

"Oh stop whining, everyone thinks it's great," Lou told him.

"What about Bram?" Annabeth asked.

"Bram doesn't think it's great?" Lou asked.

"For press secretary," Annabeth clarified. "And he does think it's great," she added with a smile.

"I'm so pleased," Josh sighed. "I hadn't thought of Bram. He doesn't have a media or PR background."

"That's why you've got me," Annabeth told him brightly. "Bram's personable, inelegant, he can think on his feet, he'd be good."

"Well you're the one who has to train him, so if you're sure," Josh said.

"Okay," Lou agreed. "So we've got you as chief of staff, you as deputy communications director. Bram as press secretary, Rhona as Josh's deputy, Joey Lucas as media director, if Josh ever gets around to asking her. What about communications director, and don't look at me."

"Sam Seaborn," Josh said.

"Really?" Annabeth smiled. "He'd be great."

"Yeah he would," Lou agree. "How come you haven't mentioned him before?"

Josh looked a little awkward. "I haven't actually got him to agree yet, but I'm working on him."

"Well you'd better step up a pace because we're almost at Thanksgiving and we need a staff in place and ready to go by the Holidays," Lou told Josh.

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**Saturday**

"You dread my phone calls don't you?" Josh asked.

"Yes," Sam agreed. "So how's the weather?"

"If I said it was hot and sunny would you get on a plane?"

"No. I don't need to fly 3000 miles to find pleasant weather. You'll need to do better than that."

"I hired Joey as media director."

"Yeah?" Sam smiled. "She'll be good. What about press secretary?"

"Bram."

It was Sam who'd introduced Josh to Bram in California. "Strange choice."

Josh shrugged. "Annabeth thinks he'll be good and she's usually right about these things. Plus, I remember the fun Donna and Toby had trying to find someone to fill CJ's place. Bram excited about it, he's starting on Monday."

"What about the electoral college and Nancy?"

"We'll get the votes, don't worry about that. You know for someone with no interest in joining us, you're showing a lot of interest."

"I like to know who's going to be running the country and spending my taxes," Sam smiled.

"You know I won't give up unless you tell me I have no hope at all of persuading you?"

"I do. So how are you?"

"Fine."

"Josh, this is me you're talking to. How are you?"

Josh sighed and sat down behind the desk. With most people he could fool them he was fine, that he was moving on, but not with Donna and not with Sam. "I'm better than last week."

"Day to day is all you can do I guess," Sam said.

"That's what President Bartlet said, that all we can hope is that each day is better than the last."

"And is it?"

"For the most part."

"You know you can talk to me don't you?"

"I do, and if I need to I will."

Sam knew that was the best he could hope for for now. "Have you seen Mal?"

"Yesterday. She's been better, but all things considered she seems okay."

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**Sunday**

Sam picked up his ringing cell phone and grinned to himself when he saw the name on the caller ID. "You're like a dog with a bone," he smiled.

"I have no idea how to take that," Josh replied. "But I told you I wouldn't give up."

Sam carried the phone into the kitchen as he listened to Josh. While he liked the idea of them working together again, something inside him wasn't sure about returning to the White House.

"You know I have good life here," Sam said. "A good job, nice apartment."

Josh nodded. "I do."

"And you want me to give it all up for at least four years."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Why?"

Josh's impulse was to say, 'because I need you', but he knew it wouldn't fair to play on Sam's loyalty and friendship. "Because Santos is a good man, he's going to be a great president. We get to continue Jed Bartlet's legacy and build on it with our own. We get another four, hopefully eight, years to make a difference, to make things better in education and health care. But to do that we need good staff and even better advisors. We're going to be an unbelievably young and inexperienced administration." Josh sighed and said it anyway. "We need you, I need you."

Sam already knew all that. He'd spoken to Donna, as well as to CJ and Toby. But they hadn't had to tell him that Josh was going to need all the help he could get, especially in the first year. "You really believe in him, not just because you got him there, I mean you _really_ believe in him?"

"I do, I always did."

"So I guess if you believe in him and Leo believed in him, he must be the real thing?" Sam asked with a small smile.

"I never thought I'd find another, but yes he is."

"I did mention my good job out here didn't I?"

"You did."

"And that I like local politics."

"That as well," Josh agreed.

"Can I come out and meet him?"

"Just name the time."

"Okay. But I won't take the job if I don't see it," Sam said.

"It?"

"The thing that Jed Bartlet has, I can't explain it."

"You'll just know it when you see it?"

"Yes. My flight gets in a 7.50 tonight."

Josh raised a eyebrow at that. "Tonight? You've already booked a flight."

Sam smiled at Josh's indignant tone. "I miss you. I'll see you tonight."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Dules Airport**

Josh took one of Sam's bags off him. "Three bags? How long are you planning on staying?"

"Thought I may as well bring enough stuff for a few weeks, just in case I decide to take the job."

"What about your current job?" Josh asked as they left the terminal building.

"I've taken a leave of absence. Where you parked?"

"Here," Josh said as he led Sam to a waiting SUV.

"Secret Service. You're going to save a fortune on car running costs."

"It's the reason I took the job," Josh agreed as he climbed into the vehicle. "Where'd you want to go?"

"I need a shower, I smell of plane," Sam smiled. "Then it's up to you."

"You want to meet your potential staff, or would that be too soon?"

"Are they waiting for me?"

"Yeah," Josh replied sarcastically. "They're all lined up waiting to meet you. Don't be an idiot. They're going to The Hawk, we could meet them if you want. If not, we'll go someplace else, stay in, whatever. "

"Hawk sounds good. I talked to Toby yesterday. He sounds resigned. You think President Bartlet'll pardon him?" Sam asked.

"I dunno, from what CJ and Toby say, he was pretty pissed with him."

"Well if he doesn't, your guy can."

"I really hope I'm not put in that position," Josh admitted.

"You don't want to?"

"Of course I want to, but think how it'll look if one of his first acts in office is to pardon his chief of staff's friend."

"It would look a little suspect. So we just have to hope Jed Bartlet does it. Have you seen him?"

"Toby? No. We talk on the phone but he isn't too inclined to see people."

Sam nodded, he could understand that. "And you really want me to come back into that world."

"I don't imagine you giving away state secrets," Josh said. "Although I would never have imagined Toby doing it either."

"I still don't think it was him," Sam said.

"Then who was it?"

"No idea. It just seems so out of character for Toby. But the only people I can imagine he'd cover up for are CJ, you, Leo and me. We know it can't possibly have been me, you or Leo and CJ would never let him take the fall for her, so ..." Sam shrugged.

"Unless it was David," Josh said.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "He'll get a pardon," he said after a few seconds silence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Monday Afternoon - Santos Headquarters**

"How long have they been in there?" Donna asked.

Josh looked at his watch again. "Almost three hours."

"What the hell are they doing?"

"I don't know. If it was President Bartlet, I'd say they were playing chess, but I don't know. I guess it has to be a good sign. I mean if the hated each other it'd have been over in 10 minutes."

"They'll get on just fine," Donna assured him.

Twenty minutes later, Sam popped his head round the doorway to Josh's office. "Hey, you want to get some lunch?"

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you over lunch. I'm famished."

"You're killing me," Josh complained. "Just tell me, do I need to place an ad in the position vacant column or not?"

Sam smiled. "Not."

Josh grinned. "Really? Thank God for that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I don't want to spend my whole time writing speeches," Sam said, "that was the thing that was putting me off, well the main thing anyway. I did that for five years, I didn't want to go back to it. But it seems he writes his own speeches, which is impressive 'cause, and don't tell anyone I said this, but he's better than Toby, well as good anyway." Sam paused for breath and a bite of his sandwich.

Josh watched him and smiled to himself. This was something he'd missed over the last four years, animated, excited Sam.

"Anyway," Sam continued, "he wants to carry on doing that. I did point out that he won't have time to write everything, especially the big ones, but I'll help on those and the speech writing staff will just have to work harder than they use to."

"I already know all this. What I thought ..." Josh tried to interrupt, but Sam was on a roll.

"I want to get involved in policy," Sam said.

"Sam. Stop," Josh said. "This administration was always going to be run differently from the last one. You would be more involved with policy than Toby was, shaping the policy rather than the message, that part'll be down to Annabeth and maybe Joey, we'll see how that goes."

"See if you'd told me all this when you started badgering me to take the job ... "

"We were still working it out. Basically, we'll be playing it by ear for a while. But we do have one advantage over last time."

"We've been there before," Sam said.

"Yeah. Which means this time at least we should be able to find our offices."

End Of Part 4  
Part 5, New Year, New Beginnings ...


End file.
